Those Branded by God
by Himedere Sugar
Summary: Fifty sentences dedicated to kindred spirits Klaus and Leonardo.


_#01 - Walking_  
You can read a man simply from observation of his gait, the way he carries himself, and if that's true then damn, muses Leo, Klaus has to be the most exceptional being alive.

 _#02 - Waltz_  
Their height difference poses a real problem sometimes, but Klaus is creative with solutions also; he lifts Leo off the floor and sets the boy down on his own shoes, continuing their waltz lesson without another interruption.

 _#03 - Wishes_  
Leo's eyes suddenly bolt open and he points to the sky, emphatically shouting something about a shooting star, and Klaus is pretty sure he's about to overheat from the radiance exuding from his little friend.

 _#04 - Wonder_  
There are a lot of things that they don't know about each other, some major and some minor, but it's nice to wonder and guess about your partner because it keeps the spark alive.

 _#05 - Worry_  
"I don't worry as much as I should," says Leo with that awkward half-smile of his, "but that's only because I know you'll come back to us! You always do."

 _#06 - Whimsy_  
Leo is cute and whimsical when he's drunk, but he's much more difficult for Klaus to handle because he has a hard time keeping his hands off of the kid.

 _#07 - Waste/Wasteland_  
Hellsalem's Lot is a wasteland overflowing with the worst scum imaginable, but among the filth Leo finds a kindred spirit in one Klaus von Reinherz, Libra's gentlemanly leader.

 _#08 - Whiskey and Rum_  
Their last drinking game ends with a slightly tispy Klaus comparing himself to whiskey because he's strong and rugged, and then he throws his arm around the youth beside him and declares him to be rum because he's too sickly sweet for his own damn good.

 _#09 - War_  
Klaus transforms into a different person when he 'battles' an opponent in his favorite game, but he's always a good sport regardless of the outcome, and that same humility is what draws Leo to him in the first place.

 _#10 - Weddings_  
Crashing the wedding reception is Zapp's idea, and Leo never dreams he'd be thanking the idiot for something; it's a perfect excuse to dance with Klaus.

 _#11 - Birthday_  
The entire office surprises Leo when he walks through the door, some more enthusiastically than others, but the 'surprise' doesn't hit him until he spots Klaus behind the crowd wearing a party hat and smiling like a dork.

 _#12 - Blessing_  
"You were given these eyes for a reason only you'll be aware of," says Klaus in a soft voice while he runs his fingers over the boy's closed eyelids, "so think of them as not a curse, but a gift...one that ultimately brought us together."

 _#13 - Bias_  
Klaus won't admit that he favors Leo over the rest of Libra, and he doesn't let those feelings interfere with his judgment or actions as a leader.

 _#14 - Burning_  
Sparks fly around Leo's vision and some unseen power slams into his face, slashing at his eyes and forcing him backwards; the first thing he hears is Klaus's resonant voice somewhere near him, asking if he's all right.

 _#15 - Breathing_  
The first time Klaus remembers feeling panicked is when he pulls Leo from the water, and the boy is unconscious; he spends the next fifty minutes pushing on Leo's chest and performing mouth-to-mouth, begging his friend to breathe again.

 _#16 - Breaking_  
Leo needs someone to push him past his limits, past his shoddy mindset of himself and his abilities, and Klaus is just the man for the job.

 _#17 - Belief_  
"I'd like to believe there's some good in everyone," murmurs Leo against the arms that hold him tight, "but that's just sentimentality talking because some people are just bad eggs, right?"

 _#18 - Balloon_  
Leo feels higher than a kite when Klaus first kisses him, large hands sliding over Leo's cheeks to the back of his head, and he swears the room suddenly has no ceiling or floor.

 _#19 - Balcony_  
Gilbert quietly takes his leave and closes the balcony door behind him as Klaus embraces Leo from behind; the butler smiles to himself and silently thanks whatever deity sent Leonardo Watch to his Master.

 _#20 - Bane_  
Both of them have soft hearts and noble aspirations, but they're also bound by duty and refuse to allow any foe to use their kindness against them.

 _#21 - Quiet_  
Klaus isn't the most talkative person in the world, but Leo prefers a quiet evening at the office to another headache-inducing day on the job.

 _#22 - Quirks_  
They have their cute quirks and they know to exploit them during their most intimate moments together; Klaus is ticklish in the oddest places and Leo almost always catches a case of the hiccups when he's aroused.

 _#23 - Question_  
Tears fall from Leo's eyes uninhibited when he sees Klaus drop to one knee before him, and pull a velvet box from his pocket.

 _#24 - Quarrel_  
Disagreements between them are rare, and when it does occur they never stay angry with each other for very long, and they'll spend the next week apologizing profusely to one another.

 _#25 - Quitting_  
All hope seems lost until Libra's fearless leader breaks through the enemy ranks and locks eyes with the boy, wordlessly reassuring him that salvation is close at hand.

 _#26 - Jump_  
Leo sneaks past the door and takes a flying leap onto the bed, landing on Klaus's back and almost putting him into cardiac arrest.

 _#27 - Jester_  
Klaus is a big gamer and fan boy, and nothing entertains Leo more than watching his face light up when he's in the middle of an online match of chess.

 _#28 - Jousting_  
Leo stumbles backwards and cradles his aching fist against his chest, mumbling, "You guys make training like this look so easy..."

 _#29 - Jewel_  
"Your eyes remind me of turquoise, bright and clear," answers Klaus with a slight smile and a pat on Leo's head.

 _#30 - Just_  
It's not about justice or revenge; all Klaus wants to do is protects those closest to him and fight for whatever good remains in this world, and it's what Leo admires most about him.

 _#31 - Smirk_  
Sometimes Klaus purposely holds back during their chess matches just to see Leo's adorable smirk and hear the glee rising in his voice from having the upper hand for once.

 _#32 - Sorrow_  
Something about this boy's sorrowful tale tugs at Klaus's heartstrings, and that's what ultimately goads him into keeping the kid around.

 _#33 - Stupidity_  
Zapp's daily assassination attempts don't deter Klaus from coming to his rescue, and while most would call it blind kindness or stupidity, Leo calls it strength of character and heart.

 _#34 - Serenade_  
Klaus's voice is pleasant enough, and as he whispers a melody into Leo's ears, Leo feels everything inside of him start to unwind and sleep settles in soon after.

 _#35 - Sarcasm_  
"I think it's a foreign language to him sometimes," says Leo to the monkey perched on his shoulder, thinking back to the insult Zapp launched at their boss earlier that day.

 _#36 - Sordid_  
Even a noble organization like Libra has its unsavory and sordid characters like the gluttonous Zapp, but it also has sensible, good-willed people like Klaus and Leo.

 _#37 - Soliloquy_  
"Oh, you can tell when something is bothering the boss," says Zapp with a hand cupped around his mouth, whispering to Leo, "'cause he'll start pacing the floor like a fucking nut and make speeches to himself..."

 _#38 - Sojourn_  
Honestly, Leo expects his sojourn in Hellsalem's Lot to be just that, brief and brutal, but a man named Klaus changes all that with his talk of destiny and a higher calling.

 _#39 - Share_  
Leo is having second thoughts about their 'game' when Klaus takes another bite of the biscuit stick and comes that much closer to his face; Leo swallows hard and mutters with the stick still in his mouth, "I-Isn't this a game that only couples play?"

 _#40 - Solitary_  
Sometimes Klaus seems like an island, distant and untouchable, despite how warm he is towards Leo.

 _#41 - Nowhere_  
There isn't anywhere Leo would rather be than tangled in the arms of the man he adores, stark naked and sweaty from their previous bout together, and deliriously happy.

 _#42 - Neutral_  
Leo is used to being the neutral third party and sole audience to Zapp and Klaus's morning rituals, but his favorite part isn't the battle itself; no, it's the relentless teasing and fun he pokes at the fool afterwards that makes his day.

 _#43 - Nuance_  
Klaus is a man all about the details, the smaller things, and that's probably why he spends so much time memorizing every inch of Leo's imperfect body each night they're together.

 _#44 - Near_  
It isn't the first time Klaus uses himself to shield Leo from extreme harm, and it certainly won't be the last.

 _#45 - Natural_  
Leo stammers something about them both being guys and that it's wrong, and that's when Klaus feels inclined to stop him; he puts his hands squarely on Leo's shoulders and answers him directly, "It's natural to feel conflicted about such things, and I do not wish to rush into anything with you. Just know this: I care a great deal for you, Leonardo Watch."

 _#46 - Horizon_  
"It's weird because I've seen so many sunrises before," answers Leo with a squeak, feeling Klaus's embrace tighten a little, "but it's never looked so pretty before. I uh...I can't really explain it."

 _#47 - Valiant_  
Klaus smiles warmly and lifts Leo's chin with his finger, reassuring him, "Those were the actions of a noble man, not a coward."

 _#48 - Virtuous_  
Virtue isn't defined by what a man believes or says, but by his actions and the means he employs to achieve his ends, Leo learns from watching Klaus.

 _#49 - Victory_  
They make a lethal combination, Klaus's strength and Leo's eyes, and it's such a well-known fact now that most scum turn tail and run at the mere mention of their names.

 _#50 - Defeat_  
His futile struggle ends in utter defeat, and Leo weakly protests as Klaus pushes him back into the mattress, chuckling while he presses a kiss to Leo's neck.


End file.
